April 22, 2008

A reflection on weakness

Weakness. It's almost a painful word to read. To admit weakness signifies the acceptance of vulnerability. To acknowledge a weakness is the understanding that you are lacking. Weakness though, in essence, is a relative term, for there cannot be the weak without the strong. But how do we define weak and strong? Are these subjective or objective terms? For me, I think they are for the most part largely subjective, but within smaller contexts, people operate under a common understanding of what it means to be weak or strong, thus classifying it as more of an objective concept. A prime example of one of these smaller contexts would be the frame of our university.

Over the past four years of college, I have experienced weaknesses on countless different levels. More than anything else, it has been an enormous struggle for me to learn to acknowledge and accept my weaknesses and limitations. In college, it seems to me like there is such a concrete formula identifying success and failure which correspond respectively with strength and weakness. The value that society places on succeeding in school had overtaken my own autonomy to define my own parameters of success and failure. I have been brainwashed. Accordingly, if I don't perform at what the school evaluation system deems successful, I feel weak. If I am to be honest with you, my past four years have been plagued with feelings of inferiority and loss of self confidence--namely...weakness. For this, I am greatly resent the time I have spent here. If strengths were not so narrowly defined in college, I would probably have more time to focus on my passions and personal strengths instead of being subjected to only what the university deems important for me to learn.

That being said, I think this recognition of my weaknesses has been somewhat beneficial for me as well. It has taught me never to settle when I have the potential to grow. However, I feel that a lot of the time, the expense paid from feeling inferior outweighs the fulfillment gained from improving.

Continue reading "A reflection on weakness"

Posted by thulyk at 12:41 AM | Comments (2)

April 14, 2008

The fruits of my labor

So, here it is: my final project! It's basically a commentary on the suppressing nature of the classroom setting and how it constrains free thinking, creativity, and enthusiastic learning.

I hope you like it.

Don't forget to break the frame.

Signing out,
Taylor

Posted by thulyk at 05:56 PM | Comments (1)